The present invention generally relates to portable cellular telephone devices, and more particularly to a wrist-worn cellular phone having a multi-sectioned keypad.
A cellular telephone is a familiar personal communication accessory which is widely used. Early models were bulky, being carried in motor vehicles or in back packs. Further developed models were stored in a pocket or clipped onto a belt when not in use. They were, therefore, prone to falling, breaking, or simply being forgotten. Additionally, these models suffered from the time loss caused by taking such cellular telephones out of a garment pocket, or belt holder, adjusting the phone""s orientation to actuate an answer mode.
A number of wrist telephone devices have been developed and disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,239,521; 5,274,513; 5,224,076. In all these disclosures a telephone device is typically in the form of a wristwatch fastened to the user""s wrist via a strap, wherein a cellular phone mechanism replaces that of a watch in its conventional location. The main components of a cellular phone mechanism, such as transceiver, telephone call initiating means, a keyboard, a voice recognition device, a display, etc., as well as a battery power source, are accommodated within a common case. A microphone and a speaker are usually incorporated within the strap.
For example, in a device disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,521, a strap has a member pivotally coupled thereto in a manner to be rotatable between its inoperative position, being aligned with and fastened to the strap, and an operative position, being perpendicular to the strap. The pivotal member functions as an ear piece, having a receiver at its free end and a microphone mounted on or close to its opposite end, proximate to the strap.
The telephone devices disclosed in the above patents suffer from a common disadvantage associated with the fact that a battery is substantially small in size and, therefore, low-power. Indeed, the battery is always a part of the case containing the phone mechanism, which case is supported on the user""s wrist like a watch unit by means of a conventional strap.
WO Publication No. 95/35622 discloses a telephone device which may be used as a wrist-watch cellular phone by mounting it onto a conventional strap to be attached to the user""s wrist. Here, a battery is accommodated in a separate case which is, at its one end, coupled by hinges to the end of a case containing the phone mechanism. However, the battery is still of a small size and associated with the same portion of the user""s wrist as the case containing the cellular phone mechanism. The two interconnected cases are typically associated with the strap which connects their free ends and supports them on the user""s wrist.
It is thus evident that in the conventional devices of the kind specified a battery is too small to meet the requirements of the user, while a strap always occupies at least half of the user""s wrist, which is free of both the battery and phone mechanism.
Additionally, most of the known cellular phone devices suffers from a disturbance caused thereby when it starts to ring, for example, when the user is at public gathering concert, lecture, or the like. It is often the case that the user wishes his cellular phone to be permanently switched on so as to be immediately informed of an incoming call. However, it would clearly be desirable for the phone device to be actuated in a manner to inform the user of an incoming call without disturbing others within his/her close vicinity. In order to solve such a problem, a vibrator is usually included in the cellular phone mechanism and is connected to a phone ringer in a manner to cause a continuous vibration of the whole cellular phone device when actuated by an incoming call. It is understood that this act of vibrating the whole device results in significant waste of energy.
In addition to the problems described above, the cellular phones in the prior art that are configured to be worn on the wrist are difficult for a user to operate. For instance, the decrease in size of the cellular phone to that which can comfortably be worn on a person""s wrist typically results in a corresponding decrease in the overall size of the keypad of the cellular phone. The small overall size of the keypad in turn requires that the keys of the keypad be smaller and/or closer in proximity. The small, closely-spaced keys are difficult for a user to operate, in that the wrong keys may be inadvertently pressed.
Thus, a need exists for a wrist-worn cellular device which provides a keypad which is larger and easier for a user to operate.
It is thus a major object of the invention to eliminate the above listed and other disadvantages of conventional cellular phone devices and provide a novel wrist-mounted telephone device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device which is shaped like a bracelet, wherein all main components of a cellular phone mechanism and a battery power source are distributed around the user""s wrist in the most effective manner. This enables the design of a battery of significantly larger dimensions which is easily replaceable without disturbing the cellular phone mechanism itself.
There is thus provided according to one aspect of the present invention a wrist-mounted telephone device for attaching to a wearer""s wrist. According to one embodiment, the device comprises a bracelet configured to be attached to a wearer""s wrist, wherein the bracelet is configured to support a cellular phone mechanism accommodated in a housing and a battery power source coupled to the housing. The device also comprises a keypad attached to the bracelet and coupled to the cellular phone mechanism so as to provide signals to the cellular phone mechanism. The keypad has a plurality of adjustable sections.
It is noted that the present invention is not limited in scope to any particular embodiment of a wrist device. For example, in accordance with other embodiment of the invention, the multi-sectioned keypad of the present invention may be employed with any wrist-worn device, regardless of the configuration of the device or the battery power source employed by the device.
Preferably, the keypad comprises buttons, which when pressed, send corresponding signals to the wrist device such as a wrist worn phone mechanism. The keypad comprises two, three or more sections, wherein typically a first section is attached to the bracelet or the strap disposed around the user""s wrist, and the remaining sections are attached to the first section, for instance by being pivotably attached to the first section by a hinge or by being telescopically supported and extended thereby.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the keypad comprises a plurality of pressure sensitive switches that employ pressure transducers so as to operate as key elements of a keypad. As a result, the keypad in accordance with this embodiment of the invention can be made substantially thin and flexible.
Advantageously, a second section is pivotably attached to the first section so as to conceal the buttons on each of the first and second sections when the second section is pivoted relative to the first section into a closed position. It is also preferred that the second section is pivotably attached to the first section so as to form a flat keypad when the second section is pivoted relative to the first section into an open position.
In one embodiment, the housing and the battery power source form together a first and a second interlocking parts, respectively, of a bracelet. The construction may be such that at least one of the first and second portions of the bracelet has C-shaped or flat geometry.
It is understood that the battery power source is adapted to be electrically connected to the cellular phone mechanism. The electrical connection may be in the form of wires.
Preferably, the battery power source substantially occupies the wearer""s wrist. The housing containing the cellular phone mechanism may be located at a palm side of the wearer wrist.
The housing and the battery power source are coupled by a connector providing mechanical engagement thereof. The connector may comprise hinges, or a clasp mechanism, or at least one belt. The connector is substantially small so as not to occupy a significant portion of the wearer""s wrist. In the case of the belt, it may be formed of plastic, fabric, or the like material.
The cellular phone mechanism comprises an ear piece extendable towards a region of a palm of the wearer and retractable to a region of the housing. Preferably, the ear piece is extendable along an axis of the wearer""s arm. The ear piece may be extended by means of a flip open cover pivotally coupled to the housing and may be further extended by at least one telescopic, or accordion like segment of the cover. Alternatively, the ear piece of the cellular telephone mechanism may be mounted at an end of a tube having a securing arrangement for securing to a wearer""s finger. Upon release of the securing arrangement, the tube is retracted into the housing by means of a resilient biasing means coupled to the end of the tube.
The battery power source may comprise a single battery circumferentially extending along at least a substantial portion of the wearer""s wrist, or a plurality of batteries coupled to each other and each circumferentially extending along the wearer""s wrist. It is understood that a battery of any kind may be employed. The battery may be removably accommodated within a case.
If the plurality of batteries is employed, each of them may be accommodated within its case and the cases are coupled to each other. To this end, the device, preferably, comprises an electric circuit adapted for selectively connecting the cellular phone mechanism to a preset one of the plurality of batteries.
Preferably, the cellular phone mechanism includes an antenna, which may be of a telescoping kind. The device may also comprise an indication means responsively coupled to the cellular phone mechanism for alerting, the wearer of an incoming call. The indication means preferably comprises a vibrator in the form of a mechanical assembly including a reciprocating prong for prodding the wearer""s wrist. The device may also comprise at least one data display panel.
According to one embodiment, the device includes a vibrator which, when actuated, indicates a wearer of an incoming call without causing the vibration of the whole device.
Preferably, the device also comprises a watch unit. The watch unit and housing are disposed in a diametrically opposite relationship on the wearer""s wrist.